Wholesome Wave Georgia (WWG) is pleased to share their progress to increase nutrition access while raising awareness about making fresh, healthy, locally grown food affordable and available in the City of Atlanta.
Since January, WWG deepened their work within the City of Atlanta to improve food security after receiving a $500,000 grant from the City of Atlanta to expand the nonprofit’s impact. WWG has 22 partners (including farmers markets, farms, and locally owned and operated brick-and-mortar retailers) and is on track to match $50,000 of SNAP/EBT (“food stamps”) purchases on fruits and vegetables this year within the City of Atlanta.
In addition to these matched nutrition incentives, WWG will increase nutrition access in the City of Atlanta by providing food stamp technical assistance to local food outlets; increasing the amount of locally grown produce sold in local brick-and-mortar stores by connecting them with local farm suppliers; onboarding new program partners; and supporting partners with project funding via a Fresh, Healthy, Local Grant application.
Fresh, Healthy, Local Grant Awards
In June, WWG distributed sub-grants via their Fresh, Healthy Local Grant application to partners within the City of Atlanta. Because of the City of Atlanta’s transformational donation, WWG awarded over $73,000 to six community partners: Castleberry Farmers Market, Community Farmers Markets, Patchwork City Farms, Morningside Farmers Market, Unearthing Farm and Market, and Westside Farmers Markets’ Underground Atlanta Farmers Market. The grant award recipients have plans to implement projects like hiring dedicated market and farm staff, hosting chef demonstrations to feature healthy cooking with seasonal foods, and conducting outreach with residents living near markets, which will all support our combined goal of increasing nutrition access.
Farm to Retailer Connections
WWG hired Trinity Harrison as the nonprofit’s Atlanta Local Food Systems Fellow to increase the number of partners within Georgia by offering individualized technical assistance to connect local retailers with local food systems. This in turn will increase accessibility and availability of local produce for sale to SNAP/EBT customers. Read more about a recent connection Trinity made between Truly Living Well, a local urban farm, with Halal Madina Meat Market, a local retailer, at https://www.wholesomewavegeorgia.org/blog/2023/7/17/-building-hyper-local-food-systems-in-atlanta.
Expansion to Older Adults
While Trinity is developing infrastructure with farm and retailer partners, WWG’s Community Ambassador, Mike Rouse, is focused on increasing outreach to communities utilizing our services within the City of Atlanta. Read about an ongoing project Mike has been facilitating with National Church Residences to increase nutrition access among older adults at https://www.wholesomewavegeorgia.org/blog/2023/7/17/reaching-our-aging-community-at-big-bethel-village
